u/CustomizingMyAvatar

Disclaimer
I received a discount/incentive in exchange for this review. Discount received in exchange for photo usage at the hospital; review based on an honest personal experience. subreddits and coment threads really helped me in choosing where NOT to go, posts with pictures were super helpful so im gonna be transparent and post my experience too also thank you and I wanna shout out. Everyone who has responded to my questions in the past, it really helped me prepare for my surgeries. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Okay so, I'm 30 years old and honestly, I have been looking at plastic surgery since I learned the possibility of it on Tumblr. I always knew there was a bunch of things I wanted to enhance and correct, especially with the crazy asymmetry on my face. 🫣🥴🫪😅
For me, looking at plastic surgery was never about an insecurity. I literally see it as modifying the physical frame I live in. We live in a day and age where we can design our face to our own likeness, so why not? If people want to say "oh just love yourself," to me, this is loving myself because it’s something I’ve always wanted to do for myself. 👉🏻👈🏻
⚠️ TRIGGER WARNING: Mention of childhood abuse ⚠️
On a deeper note, it’s also very emotional for me. I survived childhood abuse in all forms until I was 12 years old, and the sad thing is, I looked like my biological father the most out of anyone. Growing up, I knew I never wanted to see his face in the mirror ever again. It felt like a total mental prison looking in the mirror and seeing my abuser in my reflection. I am doing much better now, but I still wanted to completely erase that resemblance and enhance my features to look as much as my mom and my favorite beautiful people all combined.
I knew I wanted a lot done, but I wanted to get the base done first. I needed the bone structure and the hairline to be perfect so everything else would harmonize later (I didn't want to get my nose revision prior my jaw surgery, even if I needed a functional septoplasty due to the fact that I it would be easier for me to decide how high I want my nose to be if my base is already healed. I also didn’t want to do them altogether because I already can’t breathe through my nose whenever I’m sleeping and it would be a big problem if I couldn’t breathe through my nose and my healing swollen mouth). My main goal was a super feminine face that looks best with my natural hair which is super big, tight, frizzy, and curly. My original face looked good mostly when I straightened it, and the goal is to make my natural hair actually harmonize with my features! 💞💞💞 #girlmath

My mom has always been supportive, she actually paid for my breast 🍒 augmentation 10 years ago in the Philippines, but I do NOT recommend that clinic. 🙅🏻‍♀️🙅🏻‍♀️🙅🏻‍♀️ They outsourced a random doctor on me without telling me, I was 21 and terrified, and he left me with a droopy tip, and didn't respond when I had a bad nose bleed (ear cartridge tipoplasty: he gave this free on top of my boobie jobie, 2018ish, but still) . also did the doctor that he outsourced made a creepy comment when I undressed to show him my baby boobies 😭🤢🤮 I'm still paying for that surgical trauma today! 🤯☠️🫠 Because of that experience, I needed to do a lot of research before traveling and doing this alone.
One of my absolute biggest reasons for picking this place was that it needed to be super close to my Airbnb! 🏡🧳💸 My Airbnb was actually where I was trying to save the most money(2-3 weeks in a hotel is money I would rather spend on skin care and I did hehe), I just needed it comfortable, convenient to travel to and from, and close to everything. I knew I needed to be close to the clinic and stores so I could easily grab everything post-op without walking miles while swollen. My cab to and from the clinic was only around 5,500 to 8,200 KRW ($4 to $6 USD) and when I was taking the train, it was only like 700 won (around $0.50 USD)! Cheap transit is a total win. I had a bunch of places saved on IG and TikTok, so I reviewed a lot of hospital's results, found one that is consistent with what i like, price in my budget, and booked my fligh and awayyyyyy we gooooo. 🩺✈️🇰🇷

The Exact Lineup (split in 2 days)

Hair Restoration: Hair Transplant Incisional 3000 hairs 💇🏻‍♀️(May 7)
Facial Bone Structure: Face Contouring 3 Area Cheekbone, Square Jaw, T Osteotomy 🩹
Eye Reconstruction: Double Eyelid Surgery with Ptosis Correction, Sub Brow Lift, Under Eye Fat Repositioning 👁️
Symmetry Fix: Epicanthoplasty (Only on one eye to fix asymmetry!) 🧿👄👁️ <<<<<<< 👁️🫦👁️
Lifting & Snatching: Elasticum, Face Liposuction Double Chin and Jawline 🪡 (May 8)

Deep Diving Into The Research 🔍
I considered ten clinics total: 4 in Korea, 2 in China, and 1 in Vietnam, Thailand, Mexico, and Turkey. I went with this one because I just felt like they knew how to work with my features the most and, had a variety of specialists in one place. Otherwise, I would have done it with three different clinics, and I think that it would be a big waste of my time and energy to recover at different times.

Step 1: First contact 👉🏼👈🏼
The logistical process from day one was quick. They gave me the price, and I completed the online consultation with all the information that I needed within three days. When I decided on the date, I scheduled it within 10 days. We were talking back and forth in different time zones so I understand the delay, but I do wish they had a 24/7 response team.
I already knew whatever total price they gave me online was not gonna be completely accurate to the brim compared to an in person face to face consultation. Because of that, I took the online quote and basically doubled it in my head. That was the budget allowance I gave myself before going in.
I did this because I didn't want to be stingy towards myself. I knew the moment I got to talk to the doctor in person, I was going to change my mind on certain things, drop things I didn't want, or add new ones on top of the original plan. And I was totally right. Originally I was only quoted for about 5 procedures, but I ended up adding more and getting 10+ total. Giving myself that double budget mindset completely helped alleviate the anxiety of thinking "oh my goodness, oh my goodness I didn't prepare for this." Once we finished our in person consultation, the final price was solid, they honored the prices that they gave me in the online consultation, but obviously I still had to pay for the procedures that I added. No additional fees, and everything else came included, tax was included as well (sad that I missed the tax rebate by just a couple of months) 😭
It was actually surprising to me how much after care came with the free overnight stay and post-operation healing treatments. They hooked me up to an IV and gave me treatments like a free hair wash. I did have to pay for my medication at the pharmacy, but they were transparent about that during the online consultation and it was . Any care given to me inside the hospital during that free stay was completely covered. Once I paid prior to surgery, I didn't have to swipe my credit card ever again 🙅🏻‍♀️💳😮‍💨(someone who is from a country that is so heavy on the tip culture just having a solid all in one price is such a big relief and makes me really question the sincerity of Services from where I’m from due to the fact that people expect some monetary compensation a.k.a. tips, for services specially added ones) Bracing myself by adding extra room in my budget beforehand was a solid favor to myself, especially since I was flying all the way from California to a city where I don't know anyone. It was a “go hard or go home” situation.
The online consultation was completely free. Other clinics offered cheaper pricing, but just going to a different country rather than California is already saving me a lot, there were clinics that quoted me cheaper, but they only specializing two or three of the procedures that I want.
I liked that they have specialized doctors for everything. The hair guy only does hair, the eye guy only does eyes, and the jaw guy only does bone. That was exactly what I needed due to the amount of things I wanted to get done at once.

Face to Face & The Big Consultation
Walking in, the vibe was organized and straightforward. They did the 3D CT scans for my jaw, and the doctor was detailed. If I’m being honest, my only regret is that I wish I advocated for myself more to get a more dramatic look! 👁🫦👁 My husband originally didn't want me to touch anything, giving the usual "I love you how you are" speech, which is sweet and I get it. But after I explained this was for me, he agreed. 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻 But because of that, I think I played it safe. Even though I’m still a swollen marshmallow puff, loving my results and I can’t wait for my swelling to completely go away. (If anyone has advice that they feel like they did something that has made their swelling go away fast please please please let me know. Thank you in advance) but I lowkey wish I went way more dramatic because I love the whole transformation idea! 🐛→🦋

My Raw Recovery Diary 🗓️
Immediately after: Waking up from general anesthesia at 6 PM i stayed at the clinic til 11 in the morning the next day, I didn't feel any pain at all after I went home, when right after anesthesia when I did feel pain, I would press the button that they gave me and they would add something to my IV which I believe was painkillers since I couldn’t drink anything yet. What gave me the most discomfort was I had a catheter, I kept asking my nurses to take it out. They did eventually, but I think they had to ask a doctor if it was safe to take it out sooner than what they were instructed to. Those night shift nurses really made my life as comfortable as it can be since I was doing this by myself, I didn’t have any emotional support, but I don’t know, I think I think I’m just not used to genuine care,, you can say because of where I’m from services feel performative because they’re waiting for tips.
I couldn't breathe well because of my dysfunctional deviated septum and a super swollen mouth, but the nurses gave me oxygen and it helped. I wish I could’ve thanked them because they were the night shift and I didn’t get to see them after anymore. 🏥👩🏻‍🍼
The Turnaround Weeks 1 to 2: The first 3 days on a liquid diet was the worst part because I love to eat! 😭🥣 Sleeping is where the real surviving happens. There's no pain, just pure discomfort trying to sleep upright at 45 degrees to protect the bone and the hair grafts. Get a good post surgery pillow set, it's a priceless investment. By day 3 or 4, the swelling dropped so much that my iPhone FaceID literally recognized me already! By week 2, I was talking normally and eating overcooked spaghetti, noodles, tofu, and eggs. 🍞🥚🍚🍨🥛
Current Condition Week 3: I am happy with my results. My eyes exceeded my expectations. They used to be so asymmetric ↙️↗️, and seeing them at the exact same level right now literally makes me want to cry tears of joy. 😭❤️😭 I still swell up crazy in the morning compared to the evening, but I'm already eating a good variety of solid foods and accidentally ate a gummy bear. I shouldn't have, but I survived. I can already wear light makeup, and even though I can do full makeup now, I'm saving it and just using digital apps to play with makeup over my pictures. Every day the swelling goes down, I get more excited.

Aftercare
The aftercare was extensive. They provided red light therapy, oxygen therapy, and even a medical hair wash when it was too scary to do it myself. When they were cleaning the incisions and removing my stitches, they gave me a stuffed animal to hold onto. The nurse was gentle, warning me when something might sting. The only tiny sting was inside my mouth, mostly because I flinched.

Pro-tip: do not flinch or hold your breath, just breathe, relax, and meditate. The stitches at the back of my head didn't hurt at all but very itchy once they were healing. 🩹🧼💆🏻‍♀️

The Real Disappointments
The only real disappointments was my hair surgery was fone a day early rather than all together AND was how hard and flat the surgical table was, my tailbone was structural roadkill by the end of it! 💀💀💀 I deeply wish I could have brought a sterile neck pillow or something for it. Also, surviving a liquid diet for 3 days when you are a total foodie is a mental battle, fr! 🫠🫠🫠

The Damage & Local Price Breakdown 💳💸📈🤯
The total bill came out to approximately 50 million KRW around $33,000 USD for the entire combination package. Price is justifiable the only reason I wish it would’ve been cheaper is so I can get more done lol
But to put this into perspective, I live in California close to Beverly Hills, and the pricing difference is insane. A rough estimate for this exact same package back home would easily clear six figures. In Beverly Hills, a full 3 area facial contouring alone can range anywhere from $25,000 to $50,000 just for the surgeon fees. An incisional 3000 hair transplant averages around $10,000 to $18,000. When you add eye reconstruction, ptosis correction, a sub brow lift, under eye fat repositioning, liposuction, and elasticum lifting, you are looking at a total cost of roughly $110,000 to $130,000 USD in California. Back in the states, I was quoted $15,000 for just one of the procedures I wanted, and another single one was quoted around eight grand. I could’ve gotten only two things done at home and completely cleared out my budget. 🛑📉
Also, the final plan came together smoothly. I wanted to get more things done on top of the online quote, changed my mind on certain pathways, and went for the jaw contouring. They gave me options for my goals. I knew the final results I wanted, even if I didn't know every single medical option out there. The way they explained everything made sense for me tp
go with elasticum, which is something I had never even heard of back in California. It was just a much better fit for my preferrance.

The Solo Flight Solo Perks
If you can do this with a friend or your partner, I do recommend doing it with a friend. It's just that my husband would love to take care of me but we have our own personal reasons why he physically could not fly with me.
But if you have to do it alone, one of the perks of me doing it solo is that my personality is that I like to laugh a lot. I am just like that and I like to make people around me laugh as well. BUT your facial movement is completely limited after this much surgery, and you need to keep it as still as possible. Doing it solo forced me to keep my face completely still because I had no one there making me crack up! 🤫🤐🙅🏻‍♀️

The Swelling Mind Game
Also I do wish I knew that swelling was gonna be a lot. Nearing my month post op, I am still really swollen. So it is a total trust the process kind of thing. And this is completely normal. I know because when I got my nose job 10 years ago, the swelling didn't fully go down until the two year mark, so I am not surprised.
I should have braced myself though, because mentally I was not prepared to not sleep flat, especially on my face. But that's just common sense. My husband still helps put me up on my surgery pillow when he can, but the times that he left for work and I slept flat, my face would backtrack like two days of swelling progress. And that one time I slept entirely on my face for 3hours??? Oh my goodness, do NOT sleep flat, 0/10 dont recommend.

Survival Tips For Future Patients
☁️Get the post surgery Pillow Set: Sleeping upright is a complete sacrifice, but a proper wedge pillow setup makes it a breeze. 👉🏻👈🏻
💊Nutrient Loading: Stock up on green juices and high quality protein shakes beforehand. You need heavy nutrients to heal those bones fast. Also keep variety in your diet because I gave myself issues 🏃🏻‍♀️🚽🧻💀 at one point overdoing the shakes, collagen, and pumpkin juice.
🧘🏻‍**♀️☮️🪷Zen Out for Stitch Rem**oval: Do not hold your breath or flinch. Just relax, breathe, and let the nurses do their work.

PS what scar gel/cream worked best for face? any recommendation is appreciated 🙏🏻